Mesut Ozil has confirmed he is staying at Arsenal after signing a new three-and-a-half year contract at the Emirates Stadium.
Sportsmail exclusively revealed in December that the Gunners had made one last push to get Ozil to sign.
Their attempts have proved successful, with the German agreeing a deal to become one of the best paid players in the Premier League.
Mesut Ozil has confirmed he is staying at Arsenal by signing new three-and-a-half year deal
Sportsmail exclusively revealed in December that Arsenal had made a push to get Ozil to sign
Their attempts have proved successful, with the German agreeing a £300,000 a week deal
Both Ozil and Alexis Sanchez were expected to leave Arsenal in the summer when their contracts expired – however, unlike the Chilean, the German will remain a Gunner.
He confirmed the news with a statement on Twitter saying ‘feels at home’ at Arsenal, along with a picture of him signing his contract, sat next to manager Arsene Wenger.
In an enthusiastic statement, Ozil said: ‘#YaGunnersYa… ooh yaaa! Proud to announce: I signed dat thing… three more years with Arsenal!
‘It’s been one of the most important decisions of my footballing career, and that’s why I had to think hard and talk with everyone who is important to me… good things take time!
‘In the end I let my heart decide. As I always said, I feel at home here and I’m highly motivated to achieve big things in the next few years. Once a Gunner, always a Gunner!’
It had been thought Ozil would follow Alexis Sanchez out the Emirates Stadium exit door
World Cup winner Ozil joined Arsenal for Real Madrid in a £45m switch in 2013, and has since made 182 appearances, scoring 36 goals and creating 61 assists. He has won the FA Cup three times in the past four seasons.
Arsenal have flexed their financial muscle in order to keep Ozil at the club, with a bumper three-and-a-half year deal worth £300,000 per week – £120,000 more than the second best paid Gunners player, record signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The extraordinary contract makes Ozil the second best paid player in the Premier League. He is the only player not to play for Manchester United or City in the top nine.
However Ozil will stay at Arsenal and link up with new signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
The money proved enough for Ozil not to follow Sanchez out of north London. The Chilean joined Manchester United in a swap deal for Henrikh Mkhitaryan in January, after declining to extend his contract beyond the summer.
Aubameyang arrived from Borussia Dortmund on deadline day after weeks of speculation and talks, for a club record fee of £56m. Arsenal fans will now be able to look forward to him and Ozil teaming up as they aim to return to the Champions League.
The 29-year-old playmaker had been linked with several clubs, including Man United, but will stay at Arsenal, who are currently sixth in the Premier League, eight points off the top four after losing to relegation battlers Swansea on Tuesday night.
| Player | Club | Weekly Wage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Alexis Sanchez | Manchester United | £350,000 |
| 2 Mesut Ozil | Arsenal | £300,000 |
| 3 Paul Pogba | Manchester United | £290,000 |
| 4 Kevin De Bruyne | Manchester City | £280,000 |
| 5 Romelu Lukaku | Manchester United | £250,000 |
| 6 Sergio Aguero | Manchester City | £220,000 |
| 6= Yaya Toure | Manchester City | £220,000 |
| 6= Zlatan Ibrahimovic | Manchester United | £220,000 |
| 9 David de Gea | Manchester United | £200,000 |
| 9= Eden Hazard | Chelsea | £200,000 |
| 11 Virgil van Dijk | Liverpool | £180,000 |
| 11= Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang | Arsenal | £180,000 |
| 13 Alexandre Lacazette | Arsenal | £170,000 |
| 14 David Silva | Manchester City | £160,000 |
| 15 Cesc Fabregas | Chelsea | £150,000 |
| 15= Alvaro Morata | Chelsea | £150,000 |
| 15= Daniel Sturridge | Liverpool/West Brom | £150,000 |
| 18 Ross Barkley | Chelsea | £150,000 |
| 19 Juan Mata | Manchester United | £145,000 |
| 20 Raheem Sterling | Manchester City | £135,000 |